Soft candy and production method for soft candy

Abstract

A soft candy is provided, which is less sticky to teeth, and has a light and rich eating texture and a sufficient chewability. A production method for the soft candy is also provided. The soft candy is produced by stretching a candy dough ( 12 ) containing 0.2 to 5 wt % of pullulan and 0.2 to 2 wt % of gelatin by an arm ( 10 ) of a pulling machine ( 3 ), and folding the stretched candy dough ( 12 ) by a rotary force of an arm ( 11 ) with an intermediate portion of the stretched candy dough ( 12 ) held by the arm ( 11 ). The stretching and folding step is repeatedly performed, whereby the candy dough ( 12 ) is impregnated with gas bubbles to reduce the specific gravity of the candy dough ( 12 ) to not greater than 1.2.

1 . A soft candy which comprises a candy dough comprising 0.2 to 5 wt % of pullulan and 0.2 to 2 wt % of gelatin and impregnated with gas bubbles. 
     
     
         2 . The soft candy according to  claim 1 , which is a soft candy obtained by imparting the candy dough with a specific gravity controlled to not greater than 1.2 by the impregnation of the candy dough with the gas bubbles, and shaping the candy dough imparted with the specific gravity controlled to not greater than 1.2. 
     
     
         3 . The soft candy according to  claim 2 , which has a specific gravity of 0.8 to 1.2. 
     
     
         4 . The soft candy according to  claim 2 , which is a soft candy produced by controlling the impregnation of the candy dough with the gas bubbles by means of a pulling machine including at least two rotary arms disposed in spaced relation and a roller disposed between the two rotary arms by stretching the candy dough between one of the two rotary arms and the roller, and holding an intermediate portion of the stretched candy dough by the other rotary arm and stretching the candy dough by a rotary force of the other rotary arm to fold the candy dough at the portion of the candy dough held by the other rotary arm. 
     
     
         5 . A soft candy production method comprising the steps of:
 preparing a candy dough containing 0.2 to 5 wt % of pullulan and 0.2 to 2 wt % of gelatin; and   stretching and kneading the candy dough to aerate the candy dough to impregnate the candy dough with gas bubbles.   
     
     
         6 . The soft candy production method according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the step of impregnating the candy dough with the gas bubbles includes the step of imparting the candy dough with a specific gravity controlled to not greater than 1.2 by impregnating the candy dough with the gas bubbles,   the method further comprising the step of shaping the candy dough imparted with the specific gravity controlled to not greater than 1.2.   
     
     
         7 . The soft candy production method according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the step of impregnating the candy dough with the gas bubbles includes a pulling step to be performed by means of a pulling machine including at least two rotary arms disposed in spaced relation and a roller disposed between the two rotary arms,   wherein the pulling step comprises the steps of:   stretching the candy dough between one of the two rotary arms and the roller; and   holding an intermediate portion of the stretched candy dough by the other rotary arm and stretching the candy dough by a rotary force of the other rotary arm to fold the candy dough at the portion of the candy dough held by the other rotary arm.   
     
     
         8 . The soft candy production method according to  claim 7 , wherein the pulling machine includes a predetermined number of rotary arms disposed in spaced relation to each other, and a predetermined number of rollers disposed between respective adjacent pairs of rotary arms. 
     
     
         9 . The soft candy production method according to  claim 7 , wherein the candy dough stretching step and the candy dough folding step are repeatedly performed in the pulling step. 
     
     
         10 . The soft candy production method according to  claim 6 , wherein the step of imparting the candy dough with the controlled specific gravity includes the step of controlling the specific gravity of the candy dough to 0.8 to 1.2. 
     
     
         11 . A soft candy comprising 0.2 to 5 wt % of pullulan and 0.2 to 2 wt % of gelatin. 
     
     
         12 . The soft candy according to  claim 11 , which is impregnated with gas bubbles. 
     
     
         13 . The soft candy according to  claim 12 , which has a specific gravity of 0.8 to 1.2. 
     
     
         14 . The soft candy according to  claim 13 , which has a specific gravity controlled by using a pulling machine. 
     
     
         15 . The soft candy according to  claim 1 , which is a soft candy produced by controlling the impregnation of the candy dough with the gas bubbles by means of a pulling machine including at least two rotary arms disposed in spaced relation and a roller disposed between the two rotary arms by stretching the candy dough between one of the two rotary arms and the roller, and holding an intermediate portion of the stretched candy dough by the other rotary arm and stretching the candy dough by a rotary force of the other rotary arm to fold the candy dough at the portion of the candy dough held by the other rotary arm. 
     
     
         16 . The soft candy according to  claim 3 , which is a soft candy produced by controlling the impregnation of the candy dough with the gas bubbles by means of a pulling machine including at least two rotary arms disposed in spaced relation and a roller disposed between the two rotary arms by stretching the candy dough between one of the two rotary arms and the roller, and holding an intermediate portion of the stretched candy dough by the other rotary arm and stretching the candy dough by a rotary force of the other rotary arm to fold the candy dough at the portion of the candy dough held by the other rotary arm. 
     
     
         17 . The soft candy according to  claim 11 , which has a specific gravity of 0.8 to 1.2. 
     
     
         18 . The soft candy according to  claim 11 , which has a specific gravity controlled by using a pulling machine. 
     
     
         19 . The soft candy according to  claim 12 , which has a specific gravity controlled by using a pulling machine. 
     
     
         20 . The soft candy according to  claim 17 , which has a specific gravity controlled by using a pulling machine.